Pump Up the Jams when You're Pumping Iron

Friday, October 21, 2011, 8:00 am

Not a big fan of strength training? If you fill your iPod with your favorite tunes and listen to it in the gym, you'll not only improve your mood, but you may make greater strength gains, according to new research from the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research.

Scientists had 20 male college students perform the same strength routine twice: once with no music, and once with self-selected music. Both workouts resulted in the same perceived exertion, but subjects reported a better mood with music. Bench press performance was not significantly different between the two sessions but some components of squat jump, like take-off velocity, were significantly greater during the music session.